Much more enjoyable fishing weather for the Upper Madison this weekend and early next week than the past several days. When February comes that also means the very real potential for strong midge hatches on the Upper Madison. Most of our Montana fly fishing guides are going to focus on the Upper Madison's upper twenty or so miles. Best rigs right now are tandem nymph rigs with a size 10 or 12 Pat's Rubberlegs or Pheasant Tail paired with a smaller pattern--$3 Dips, Zebra Midges, and Rainbow Warriors are doing well.
Trout are avoiding the fast water that makes up a lot of this section of the river so if you can find some slower runs they will be filled with trout. The water near Ennis is a little more diverse than the “50 mile riffle” upstream and has some great holding water. Nymphing stoneflies trailed by smaller baetis nymphs has been effective. Eggs and some of the larger midge larva patterns such as 3 dollar dips are also a good option.
The best fishing is in the slower water, which is sometimes hard to find on the Upper Madison. The waters around Ennis are a good bet since there are several really nice big winter runs that concentrate a lot of trout. With cold weather, these runs receive a lot of ice shelves however so the productivity depends on the temps and as the brutal cold hits you need to move farther upriver to avoid ice. Between the lakes stays ice free most of the winter although accessing the area can be tough with the high snowpack it receives.
The Month Ahead:
We are close to the February midge hatches on the Madison...but not there yet. The Upper Madison can be a tough mid winter fishing but when warm spells arrive and the wind isn’t blowing it can be productive.
Long Term Fishing Forecast:
The Upper Madison isn’t our top choice for winter fishing. The combination of big river winds and ice can make it a tough go. Early spring, however, can produce some epic midge hatches on warm days.
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